Regulating Parliament is a direct assault on its ability to function

[feyeleanor]

This government has a track record of trying to gag Parliament in one way or another, the most infamous example being their attempt to force the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill through a few years back. This week's Parliamentary Standards Bill is a similarly undesirable piece of legislation, even in the largely emasculated form in which it's

Comments

[friend_of_tofu]

The PSB is a mess. No good comes of knee-jerk legislation.

[feyeleanor]

Alas knee-jerk is all that New Labour has ever seemed to understand.

[friend_of_tofu]

They're hardly alone in that, not that that's a justification. Lack of core principles, I call it.

[feyeleanor]

Very true and I was equally appalled by a number of knee-jerk laws passed by John Major's government and expect the trend to continue if/when David Cameron is elected. I guess the downside of Democracy is the need of those who wish to remain in power to be seen to be doing something.

Call me a cynic, but I believe that nine times in ten government doing something makes the situation worse than if they chose not to do anything at all.

[savantfoxt]

Other countries media and people are amazed at both the low level of corruption and immorality that British MPs have shown with their expenses, and the fury with which the British press and public have reacted

[feyeleanor]

Very true. Respect for MPs hasn't been this low since before the Great Reform Act and yet corruption is very much the exception rather than the rule